Like this:

Like this:

Some sources offer different myths that explains how amethysts got their purple colour, and how they were given their name.

In some of the myths, Bacchus/Dionysus, the god of intoxication, is angry at the mortals and decides to slay the next mortal crossing his path. The next mortal happens to be Amethystos, a beautiful maiden on her way to pay tribute to Diana/Artemis. Diana saves Amethystos from being killed by the tigers/lions that Dionysus had sent to kill the mortal. Diana transforms the maiden into a statue of crystalline quartz so that the tigers’ claws would not harm her. When Dionysus saw the beautiful statue he wept tears of wine, in remorse, and the tears stained the quartz purple.

In another version, Dionysus was pursuing a beautiful nymph who refused him. Amethystos prayed to Diana to remain chaste and the goddess answered the prayer by turning the young woman into a white stone. This humbled Dionysus, who poured wine over the stone to honour the maiden, and this dyed the crystals purple.

In yet another variant, the amethyst is given to Dionysus in order to preserve the wine-drinker’s sanity.

Like this:

Like this:

Amethysts are said to keep its bearer from becoming intoxicated. The name of the stone is derived from the Greek ἀ a- (“not”) and μέθυστος methustos (“intoxicated”). Drinking from a vessel made out of amethyst would therefore prevent drunkenness. The Magi also tell us that if amethysts are inscribed with the names of the Sun and the Moon and are worn hanging from the neck along with hair of the cynocephalus and feathers of the swallow they are a protection against spells. (B 37, c 40)